The AU Series : New Beginnings
by ElaineDex
Summary: When Dr. Ellie Harrison does the decent thing and swaps teams with Dr. McKay will she be able to cope with the stubborn and demanding Major Lorne or will her new beginning end in disaster?
1. Chapter 1

Date : 09.01.2008

Title : The A.U. Series : New Beginnings

Author : ElaineDex

Chapter : 1 of ?

Rating : M

Pairings : Lt. Col. John Sheppard / Dr. Ellie Harrison

Major Evan Lorne / Nurse Jessica Reilly

Ronon Dex / Lyssa Hunter

Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Adventure, Maybe Some Strong Language.

Spoilers : This story has character's in it from my Loves series and follows on from the last story in that series - Loves Double Trouble.

Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.

Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Harrison, Lt. Matthew Franks, and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.

**Summary : When Ellie does the decent thing and swaps teams with McKay will she be able to cope with the stubborn and demanding Major Lorne or will her new beginning end in disaster?**

Dr Rodney McKay all but threw his laptop onto the work bench in front of Dr Ellie Harrison and she frowned at him as he began to rant,

"I have had it with that guy….he is just impossible to work with. I quit, yes…that's it, don't try to stop me or talk me out of it…..", he paused and looked at Ellie, rolling his eyes when she didn't speak.

"You're supposed to try and stop me", he moaned and Ellie blinked at him.

"Oh! Sorry. I take it you're talking about Major Lorne?".

"Yes of course I'm talking about Major Lorne. I mean, I clash with most military types but he just takes the biscuit", Rodney replied tetchily and Ellie sighed.

"What happened this time?", she asked, picking up his laptop and taking it to his work bench.

"Same as usual…I wanted to check out some caves and a wooded area which I thought could turn up some useful samples and he just completely ignored me and said we were to head back to the gate", Rodney answered as he continued to stomp around their lab.

"Oh…I see", Ellie said feeling guilty and not for the first time since Rodney had been made to step onto Lorne's team so that she could be on Sheppard's.

"It's just ridiculous", Rodney said, turning around just in time to see Ellie heading for the door.

"Where are you going?", he called and Ellie glanced back over her shoulder.

"I wont be long", she replied, avoiding answering his question and Rodney muttered a curse before opening up his laptop.

Ellie left the lab and headed for Dr Weir's office, thankful when she found that Elizabeth was sat at her desk and she stuck her head around the door.

"Hi. Can I have a word?", she asked and Weir looked up and smiled at her.

"Hi Ellie, come in, take a seat".

Ellie did so and smiled nervously as Weir looked at her expectantly.

"It's about the teams…I think you should put Rodney back onto John's team and I will go onto Major Lorne's", she said eventually and Weir raised her eyebrows.

"Any particular reason for this change?", she asked and Ellie twisted her hands in her lap.

"I feel guilty for taking Rodney's place on John's team. He was happy and now he hates going off-world because he and Major Lorne clash all the time so I think its time he had his rightful place back".

"Well I guess I'll have to discuss it with Colonel Sheppard and Major Lorne but…..", Weir began but Ellie shook her head.

"No…please. I know John will object and I'm not sure Major Lorne will be too keen either and I'd be grateful if you'd just approve the change without bringing them into it", she said and Weir sighed.

She thought for a moment and then said,

"Alright. But we'll do a trial period, if Colonel Sheppard or Major Lorne come up with any valid reasons as to why the swap isn't working out you will just have to go back to being on Sheppard's team".

"Thank you", Ellie said and Weir smiled.

"So, do you want to tell them or shall I?", she asked and Ellie sighed deeply.

"I'll do it", she replied, standing and Weir laughed.

"Good luck".

* * *

Ellie entered the mess hall and glanced around, unable to believe her luck when she saw Sheppard and Lorne sat together.

She approached their table and slid into the seat next to Sheppard.

"Hey, what're you doing here?", he said, squeezing her shoulder and she smiled at him, glancing at Major Lorne who she could see was already getting ready to leave.

"I need to speak to you…..and to you Major", she said as Lorne went to stand and he sunk back into his chair at her words.

"What's wrong?", Sheppard asked frowning when he saw she looked a little nervous.

"It's about the teams", she began and Lorne leaned forward, his elbows on the table, his interest piqued.

"What about them?", Sheppard asked warily and Ellie replied,

"I've been to see Dr Weir and as from the next off world mission I'm swapping teams with Rodney".

"What?! No way!", Sheppard said at the same time as Lorne blurted,

"Why?".

Ellie looked from one to the other and grimaced at the looks on their faces.

"Rodney was taken from your team unfairly John to accommodate me and I know he really doesn't get on with you Major", she said turning to glance at Lorne who looked away feeling a little guilty for being so off with McKay, but the man did drive him mad.

"Elizabeth said that we can give it a trial for a while…see how things go. I owe it to Rodney…he loved being on your team John", Ellie said and Sheppard looked at Lorne who looked non too pleased but remained silent.

"But I like having you on my team Ellie…we get to see more of one another", he said and Ellie blushed and looked away as she felt Lorne's gaze fall on her.

"Yeah, well….absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that", she replied shrugging and Sheppard pulled a face at her.

"Well I hope McKay appreciates this", he said and Lorne said,

"Has he been told yet?".

"No…I thought I'd better tell you guys first", Ellie said standing and Sheppard's hand fell away from her as she did so.

"I'll see you later", she said moving away from the table as Sheppard nodded.

She knew he wouldn't be too happy about the change but truth be told she was happy to put a little distance between the two of them. Ever since the visit from their other selves she had felt confused about her motives for being with Sheppard and she needed a little space to figure out how she felt.

This way she could help Rodney into the bargain.

Back in the lab she didn't think she had ever seen Rodney look so happy as she gave him the news of their swap.

She was even more taken aback when he suddenly grabbed her and crushed her small frame to him.

"Thank you so much….that's so….nice of you", he said into her hair and Ellie grimaced and patted his back.

"That's okay Rodney…I'm just giving you back what is rightfully yours", she said as he released her.

"Well, good luck with Lorne…you're going to need it", Rodney said wagging his finger at her and Ellie steeled her back determinedly.

"Lorne will be a pushover, trust me", she said sounding more confident than she felt and Rodney made a sound of disbelief as he turned back to his work.

* * *

Ellie's first day with SGA-2 didn't quite go as she'd planned. In fact she'd hated every second of it!

Major Lorne was going to be an absolute nightmare to work with. He hadn't listened to one word she had said to him and he had kept leaving her behind, forcing her to run to keep up with him, Lt. Franks and Lyssa.

As they got back to Atlantis and headed up the gate room steps, Lorne turned to her,

"So Dr Harrison, how have you enjoyed your first off-world mission with us?", he asked.

Ellie glared at him before stalking past him dismissively, muttering 'asshole' under her breath as she went.

As Lorne stared open-mouthed after her Lyssa laughed and said,

"You kind of deserved that, you were pretty hard on her today".

"Yeah well, things can get tough out there and she needs to realise we're not just on some archaeological dig", Lorne replied and Franks who drew alongside them said,

"I'm sure she realises that Sir, after all she had been on Colonel Sheppard's team for some time".

"But she and the Colonel are 'involved' so I'm sure he must have gone a little easier on her if you know what I mean", Lorne replied as they headed after Ellie and toward the briefing room, Franks and Lyssa exchanging a glance as they went.

* * *

In the briefing with Weir, Ellie tried to explain how Lorne hadn't wanted to listen to her but he kept interrupting her so she decided to try and speak with Weir alone later.

Unfortunately she didn't get a chance to and so she went to her quarters feeling frustrated and determined to make Lorne listen to her the next time they went off-world.

Thankfully she didn't have to wait long to try to put her determination to the test.

The next day Weir sent them to 2HY - 668 and Ellie made her intentions clear that she needed to examine any glyphs or things she deemed necessary as and when they came across them.

At the first stop though Lorne only gave her ten minutes before he tried to get her to move on.

"You are joking right?", Ellie asked pulling herself up to her full height which unfortunately for her still only brought the top of her head level with Lorne's shoulders and he wasn't an overly tall man.

Lorne looked down at her, his eyebrows raised.

"I never joke about my work", he said dryly and Ellie shook her head before kneeling back down.

"I am not moving from here until I have studied these glyphs properly. They could hold some vital clues or information about the Wraith or about ZPM's".

"Okay. Ten more minutes and then we move", Lorne said stubbornly and Ellie twisted to look back up at him.

"You can move if you like but I'll stay here and do my job", she replied stiffly.

Just as Lorne was about to argue a blast hissed past him and exploded into the rock that Ellie was kneeling in front of.

The force of the blast knocked her backwards and she lay for a second or two on her back, stunned as Lorne whirled around, his P-90 raised as he tried to see where the shot had come from.

When he could see no-one around Lorne dropped down onto one knee beside Ellie.

"You alright?", he asked and she nodded, scrambling onto her knees and reaching for her hand gun as another blast landed to their left.

They moved behind the rock for cover and reaching for his radio Lorne said,

"Lieutenant, who and where the hell are they? I cant see anyone but they can obviously see me and the Doc".

Franks' voice came back crackly as he replied,

"They're Wraith Sir, they're over by the gate. Lyssa and I took out four but there's four more".

Lorne turned to Ellie and indicated to the gun she was holding rather dubiously.

"Can you use that?", he asked urgently and Ellie nodded.

"Kind of", she replied, cringing as Lorne shook his head.

"Kind of?".

"I know how to work it and stuff but I tend to always miss the targets in practice…..", Ellie trailed off as Lorne looked ready to explode.

"Stay close to me…we have to move….and try to hit at least one of them", he said standing abruptly and Ellie followed.

They moved, covering each other's backs and Lorne was more than surprised when Ellie managed to bring down two of the remaining Wraiths leaving him the other two.

As Franks and Lyssa joined them, Franks said,

"Great shooting Ellie".

Ellie blushed and replied a little haughtily,

"Yeah well, I'm not quite as useless as some people think", and she looked at Lorne pointedly before moving back to the rock where her books and back-pack were waiting.

Lorne glared at her then said,

"Everyone back to the gate…now. This mission is aborted and we go on no more until I am certain that Dr Harrison is trained in everything that she needs to be to be a member of this team".

Ellie straightened and Lyssa and Franks raised their eyebrows as she rounded on Lorne. McKay had never been so argumentative with their C/O.

"I beg your pardon? What exactly do you think it is I need training in?", she asked and Lorne approached her angrily.

"How to use a fire-arm properly for one and do you know how to fly a jumper?", he asked and Ellie blinked.

"I just shot two Wraiths and why would I need to fly a jumper?", she replied, her confidence wavering as Lorne stared her down.

"You shooting those two was pure luck I'm sure and you should know how to fly the jumper just in case the three of us are incapacitated for any reason. Then there's self defence….I could go on", he said and Ellie folded her arms.

"Alright, alright….I get it", she replied and Lorne nodded.

"Get your stuff together then, we're going home", he said and Ellie risked a glance at Lyssa who gave her new team-member a half smile.

* * *

Once back on Atlantis, Lorne went to see Weir and Sheppard and told them his plans for Ellie.

"Well I guess it wouldn't hurt to have her a little more clued up", Sheppard said and Lorne nodded.

"I'm glad you see it that way Sir. After what happened today I'd feel better knowing she was a capable member of my team and not someone I constantly have to keep an eye on. At least McKay was geared up for most eventualities".

"Yeah….", Sheppard replied, beginning to worry about Ellie being off-world without him.

"I think it's a good idea Major", Weir said, "Maybe we could get some of the other scientists a bit more up to speed with the self-defence side of things. I could see if Ronon will give them a bit of training".

"Thank you ma'am", Lorne said.

He and Sheppard left Weir's office and Lorne turned to Sheppard.

"Would you like to teach Dr Harrison to fly the jumper Sir?", he asked and Sheppard regarded him.

"Are you mad Major? The worst thing a man can do is try to teach his girlfriend to drive….No, I think it would be better if you showed her".

"Right", Lorne replied trying to keep his voice neutral.

When he had suggested the training and the flying lessons he hadn't envisaged himself being the teacher….but now he guessed he was stuck with it….and Ellie.

"Oh, Major, I've been meaning to give you these", Sheppard said, pulling a pot of pills from his pocket and handing them to Lorne who took them and examined the pot.

"What are these?", he asked and Sheppard replied.

"You know Ellie has a mild heart condition right?".

Lorne nodded and Sheppard continued,

"She's always forgetting to take her damn pills so I have everyone who works with her carry some around. I'll get Teyla and Ronon to give their pots to Franks and Lyssa…just in case".

Lorne shoved the pills into his pocket, groaning inwardly.

"No problem Sir", he replied and Sheppard grinned.

"So…when's the first flying lesson…….?".

End of Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

Date : 10.01.2008

Title : The A.U. Series : New Beginnings

Author : ElaineDex

Chapter : 2 of ?

Rating : M

Pairings : Lt. Col. John Sheppard / Dr. Ellie Harrison

Major Evan Lorne / Nurse Jessica Reilly

Ronon Dex / Lyssa Hunter

Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Adventure, Maybe Some Strong Language.

Spoilers : This story has character's in it from my Loves series and follows on from the last story - Loves Double Trouble.

Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.

Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Harrison, Lt. Matthew Franks, and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.

**Summary : When Ellie does the decent thing and swaps teams with McKay will she be able to cope with the stubborn and demanding Major Lorne or will her new beginning end in disaster?**

Teyla watched as Lieutenant Franks got himself some food and then sat with Major Lorne.

"You like him don't you?", Ellie said and Teyla's eyes snapped to hers.

"I don't know what you mean", she said and Ellie smiled.

"Sure you do. Matthew…you like him. I can tell the way you watch him".

"I do not watch him", Teyla said defensively and Ellie snorted derisively.

"Do too".

Teyla made a disgruntled face at her friend and sipped her drink.

"I could speak to him if you like…now I'm on the same team as him and all", Ellie offered and Teyla looked at her…mortification clear on her face.

"Don't you dare Ellie", she said and Ellie smiled.

"Okay…but you cant stop me dropping hints…".

"Ellie….", Teyla said, her voice holding a warning and Ellie giggled but her laughter faded as Major Lorne suddenly appeared at their table.

"Ready for your flying lesson Doctor?", he asked and it was Teyla's turn to smile as Ellie scowled.

"I guess so", she said standing and waving her hand at Teyla as she followed Lorne from the mess hall.

They headed for the jumper bay and entered Lorne's jumper, settling in the front seats.

"I'll take us out to an open space over the mainland and then you can take over", Lorne said and Ellie nodded, trying to watch what he pressed.

He saw what she was doing and remembered that he needed to go through everything and so he talked her through the take off.

Once they were in the open air over the mainland he put the jumper onto auto-pilot and stood.

"Okay, you move over here", he said and Ellie shifted into the main pilots seat whilst he remained standing by her side.

"It's pretty simple really….", he began, pointing out to her which controls to press and when and Ellie nodded, thinking she understood.

"So…off you go then…..head off over that way", Lorne said pointing toward the ocean and Ellie did as he said, guiding the jumper slowly.

At first everything seemed okay but then, once they were over the water the jumper began to dive and Lorne quickly pulled Ellie from his seat and had to move the jumper into a steep upward climb to avoid hitting the water.

"What happened?", he asked, anger tingeing his tone and Ellie paled a little as she shrugged.

"I'm not sure…I thought I had it under control", she replied as Lorne levelled out the jumper.

Seeing she obviously hadn't done it on purpose, Lorne sighed and stood again.

"Here, have another go", he said and Ellie slid into the seat, her hands hovering over the controls.

Lorne saw her hesitating and was about to tell her again which control would move the jumper forward when she moved her hands and the jumper slowly moved.

This time she managed to guide the jumper safely across the water and it wasn't long before her confidence grew and she was manoeuvring the craft high above the mainland.

"That's good", Lorne said and then added, "Should we attempt a landing on the mainland?", he asked and Ellie looked at him.

"Are you sure?", she asked uncertainly and he regarded her seriously.

"I cant see any reason why you cant land this jumper….just take your time", he said and Ellie swallowed, not wanting to fail in front of the perfect Major Lorne.

"You'll have to talk me through it", she said and Lorne nodded.

He did so and she landed the jumper, granted somewhat heavily but she landed it safely all the same.

She grinned at him inanely without actually meaning to and Lorne looked away and checked the jumper's control panel.

"You did quite well for a first attempt Dr Harrison he said and Ellie's smile wavered at his impersonal comment.

"Thanks", she replied.

"I'd suggest a couple of more goes though before I'd say you were actually competent at it", Lorne said and Ellie nodded.

"Whatever you think best", she answered dully, thinking a good laugh would obviously kill him.

She moved back into the other seat and Lorne flew them back to Atlantis.

As they alighted the jumper Lorne said,

"So you have self-defence with Ronon in a while?".

"Yes and then I'm supposed to have a fire-arms class with you later", she said and Lorne frowned.

"Was that today?", he asked and she nodded as they left the jumper bay.

"Yes, is it a problem?", she asked.

Lorne thought about the plans he's made to see Jessica, the nurse he'd been dating from the infirmary.

"No…it's fine….", he said and Ellie shrugged.

"Okay then…thanks for the flying lesson and I'll see you later", she said as they parted company and Lorne headed for the infirmary to see Jessica.

When he broke the news that he had to cancel their date, Jessica pouted at him.

"Oh Evan…I was so looking forward to it", she said and Lorne sighed.

"I'm sorry…it's just I have to sort of bring Dr Harrison up to speed with her fire-arms training what with her joining my team and all", he explained and Jessica folded her arms.

"That mousy thing?", she moaned, "You'd rather spend time teaching her to shoot than spend time with me?".

"It's not like that Jessica", Lorne replied, "I have to ensure she knows how to use a gun otherwise she might end up shooting either me, Lyssa or Franks in the ass".

"Can't Colonel Sheppard teach her?", Jessica asked, stepping closer to him and Lorne pulled her closer.

"He's going off world shortly and she needs to learn sooner rather than later otherwise my team are grounded".

"So when can I see you then?", Jessica asked, nibbling his ear and Lorne gripped her waist tighter.

"I'll let you know", he said just as Beckett made an appearance and Jessica moved away.

"I'd best get back to work", she said and he nodded, leaving the infirmary.

* * *

Ellie landed on her ass for the not the first time in the last hour and she growled at Ronon and at Lyssa who had joined them ten minutes ago.

"How the hell am I supposed to defend myself against a guy as big as you?", she grumbled from her position flat on her back on the training mats and Ronon laughed.

"It is possible, you just have to learn the right moves", he told her and Ellie sat and wiped the sweat from her brow.

"Look, why don't Ronon and I demonstrate for you?", Lyssa volunteered and Ellie smiled at her gratefully.

"Thanks. That would be great…..you don't mind?", she asked, standing and Lyssa looked at her.

"Hey…you're my team member now…why would I mind helping you out?", she asked and Ellie blushed.

"I don't want to cause anyone any bother", she said and Lyssa reached out and touched her arm.

"Ellie its no bother, honestly", she said before moving to stand before Ronon.

"Now…watch carefully", she said.

* * *

Much later Major Lorne waited impatiently for Ellie to show up at the arms training room.

He folded his arms and sighed.

She was already ten minutes late.

A couple of minutes later she rounded the doorway looking slightly out of breath and her appearance took him aback slightly.

She had obviously just come from the shower as her long hair was damp, the curls beginning to form around her shoulders as it began to dry and she was wearing a button-through, cap sleeve dress that fell to just slightly above her knees instead of her usual combats and black shirt.

For a moment Lorne just stared at her and Ellie found herself wondering if he was alright.

"I'm sorry I'm a little late", she ventured hesitantly. "Ronon and Lyssa were showing me all kinds of moves and I really needed to take a shower before I met you".

"Why are you dressed like that?", Lorne blurted suddenly and Ellie frowned and looked down at her clothes, knowing that her military boots didn't exactly go with the dress.

"I…um…I just grabbed the first thing to hand when I got out of the shower. I knew you would be waiting and I….", she trailed off as Lorne grabbed a tac vest off a hook on the wall and thrust it at her.

"Put this on…that dress is hardly appropriate but I've waited long enough to start this lesson", he muttered and Ellie took the vest and put it on, zipping it up the front.

"Jeez are you always this narky?", she said, her voice low and Lorne narrowed his eyes at her.

"What?", he asked and Ellie smiled sweetly at him.

"Nothing…just talking to myself", she replied and Lorne looked at her as though she had confirmed his suspicions that she was just another mad scientist.

"Right…so…what's first?", she said wanting to break the silence that was stretching between them.

Lorne went to the cabinet that housed the weapons and unlocked it.

"I think we'd better just start with a hand-gun like the one you take off-world with you", he said and Ellie nodded.

"Okay", that sounded simple enough she thought.

Lorne approached her and handed her the gun and a dummy clip to go inside of it.

"Okay, load it up and then take aim at the target", he instructed, stepping back to watch her and Ellie swallowed and tried to keep calm under his scrutiny.

She knew that she could do this…had done it many times before when she'd trained the odd time with John and Lt. Franks.

So now why wouldn't her fingers work?

She fumbled with the clip and eventually got it in and then took aim and could immediately see how wobbly her arms were.

Lorne remained silent and it was more than Ellie could take.

She lowered her arms and turned to face him.

"Stop it", she said and Lorne frowned.

"Stop what…exactly?", he asked, one eye on the gun that she was waving around a little too carelessly for his liking, blanks or no blanks.

"Watching me", Ellie replied feeling inexplicably flustered and Lorne shook his head.

"How can I not watch you? I need to know that you're doing it right", he said sounding a little exasperated and Ellie glared at him.

"Well you're making me nervous", she told him and Lorne held his hands out.

"I'm not doing anything", he cried and Ellie turned back to the target board.

She raised her arms again and pulled the trigger repeatedly until all the ammo was gone and then she turned back to Lorne without even glancing at the board.

She watched as he turned and looked at the target board then covered his face with a hand and sighed deeply.

"What? It cant be that bad", she said, turning to look at the board for herself, her eyes widening as she saw that only one shot had hit the black part of the target, the rest where splattered all over the white.

"Oh…..", she said watching as Lorne approached her and took the gun from her hands.

He reloaded it and then gave it back to her.

"Take aim again", he said and as she did so, he moved behind her, his arms going around her and he gripped her forearms.

"Make sure you hold steady", he said, "Have your legs slightly apart to balance your weight", and he kicked gently at the insides of her boots so that she moved her feet even more apart.

She wobbled slightly and the damp hair on the side of her head brushed against his cheek and Lorne got a whiff of her shampoo which smelt of coconuts.

He found it pleasant…unlike the experience of teaching her to shoot and he released her arms abruptly and stepped away from her.

"Try again and concentrate", he said and Ellie glanced at him before looking back at the board intently.

She fired and this time managed to get most of the shots inside the black.

"Good", Lorne stated and Ellie let herself relax slightly.

He took the hand-gun from her and removed the empty cartridge before putting it back in the cabinet and when he turned back to face her he held a P-90.

"Are you serious?", she asked, her heart beginning to beat a little faster at the thought of holding a gun that size.

"Deadly", Lorne replied.

End of Chapter 2


	3. Chapter 3

Date : 11.01.2008

Title : The A.U. Series : New Beginnings

Author : ElaineDex

Chapter : 3 of ?

Rating : M

Pairings : Lt. Col. John Sheppard / Dr. Ellie Harrison

Major Evan Lorne / Nurse Jessica Reilly

Ronon Dex / Lyssa Hunter

Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Adventure, Maybe Some Strong Language.

Spoilers : This story has character's in it from my Loves series and follows on from the last story - Loves Double Trouble.

Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.

Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Harrison, Lt. Matthew Franks, and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.

**Summary : When Ellie does the decent thing and swaps teams with McKay will she be able to cope with the stubborn and demanding Major Lorne or will her new beginning end in disaster?**

**ONE WEEK LATER**

Sheppard watched as Ellie put books and pens into her back-pack and smiled at her as he lounged back on her bed.

"You think you'll be able to write out there? Isn't PR9-990 full of ice and snow?", he asked and Ellie's hands paused.

"Well yeah…but when we get back to the jumper I'll need to be able to record stuff straight away", she said and Sheppard nodded.

"Right".

As she went to walk by him he snagged her around the waist and pulled her down onto his lap.

"John….", she said, her tone holding an objection which Sheppard ignored as he kissed her neck.

"I need to get my stuff together", Ellie tried again but Sheppard continued to nibble at the soft skin below her ear.

"You don't leave until the morning…you have plenty of time", he muttered, then added, "And besides, Lorne has kept you so busy all week that I've hardly seen you".

Ellie closed her eyes as she felt one of Sheppard's hands cup the underside of one breast, his thumb flicking across her nipple and it hardened traitorously.

She realised she had missed him this past week…or was it just the sex she'd missed?

Either way she didn't object when he moved with her further into the middle of the bed and began to remove her clothes…..

* * *

Lyssa waved half-heartedly at Ronon as she boarded the jumper with Ellie, Franks and Lorne.

The more time she spent with him alone, the more she realised that as much as she loved him, it just wasn't the right kind of love.

But what should she do?

She sat back, relieved when his image disappeared as Lorne closed the back doors and she and Ellie got ready for the take off.

"Are you okay?", Ellie asked, surprising Lyssa out of her reverie and she forced a smile.

"Fine. You?", she replied.

"I just hope my week of intense training pays off", she whispered, her eyes darting to Major Lorne and back again and Lyssa nodded.

"I'm sure it will. Lorne wouldn't have put us back on the off-world schedule if he didn't think you were ready".

"No…I don't suppose he would", Ellie said.

They went through the gate and Franks made a whooping noise as they got their first glimpse of the ice and snow.

"Wow…that is a fair amount of the white stuff", he said and Lorne nodded.

"Sure is", he agreed as he circled the jumper looking for an appropriate place to land.

Ellie was secretly excited. She loved the snow, always had and she couldn't wait to get out into it. As soon as Lorne landed she began to pull on her thick over-coat, hat, scarf and gloves.

"You sure you're gonna be able to move around Ellie?", Franks asked, laughing as Ellie blushed and she glanced at Lorne who was also pulling a thicker jacket on over his SGA uniform.

"It is going to be cold out there y'know", she said defensively and Lyssa agreed as she too pulled on a long, thick coat and some gloves.

"She's right Franks….you did bring another coat didn't you?", she said and Franks glanced at Lorne.

"Er…..", he began as Lorne sighed.

"There should be some spare jackets in the overhead lockers Lieutenant, you'd better put another one on", he said and Franks moved to the lockers and pulled a jacket out.

Once he had it on, Ellie handed him her scarf.

"You'd better put this on too…I don't really need it", she said and Franks regarded her dubiously, not taking the scarf from her.

"Ellie its pink!", he stated flatly and Lorne actually had to bite back a smirk as the Doctor retorted,

"If you don't keep warm your whole body will be pink…and besides, who's going to see you except us?".

"But it's pink", Franks repeated but Ellie merely tutted and stood on her tiptoes to wrap the scarf around his neck.

"Why are we here again?", Franks muttered as Lorne moved past him to get to the jumper's back doors.

"So that we can collect the artefact that SGA-3 didn't get a chance to on their last trip here", Lorne replied and Franks sighed deeply as the doors opened and they were all nearly blinded by the brightness of the snow.

Ellie was the first to leave the jumper and the others watched as she strode out across the white expanse for a way before she realised that she was alone.

She turned to face them and held her arms out.

"What're you guys waiting for?", she asked and Lorne realised that she had a point.

He nudged Franks with his elbow and the Lieutenant reluctantly moved out and was followed by Lyssa. Lorne left last and paused to close up the jumper.

Ellie waited until the three of them caught her up and then they all carried on together.

Lyssa and Ellie followed Zelenka's directions as best they could and it wasn't long before they found the entrance to the huge ice cave where the artefact was housed.

"That can't be safe", Franks said looking up at the huge icicles that were hanging from the mouth of the cave and Lorne regarded him.

"What is wrong with you today Lieutenant?", he asked and Franks shrugged.

"Sorry Sir".

Lorne moved forward and said to Ellie,

"So you know the whereabouts of this thing then?" and she nodded.

"Okay then, you and I will go first, Franks and Lyssa you follow…keep your eyes peeled", he instructed.

They began to move deeper into the cave, having to go slowly at times to avoid slipping on the icy floor.

Eventually they came to the artefact encased in a display box made of ice.

Lorne went to crack the ice with the butt of his P-90 but Ellie grabbed his arm.

"Wait…it could be rigged", she said and he looked at her.

"I find it doubtful that any kind of device would work in these temperatures Doctor", he said and Ellie bit her lip.

"The Ancients were very clever people 'Major' so I think they would have found a way around the cold", Ellie replied and Franks and Lyssa exchanged another glance wondering if this was going to turn into another argument.

Lorne pondered for a moment then said,

"Okay so let's say it is rigged…it's not that far from the entrance…we could grab the artefact and run like hell".

"Yeah that's a great plan", Ellie muttered sarcastically.

"Sounds okay to me", Franks said and Ellie threw him a dirty look.

"Lyssa?", Lorne asked knowing he didn't need a majority vote being the leader of this team but he still liked to ask. If his team seriously objected then he would reconsider any plan that he had made, whatever mission they were on.

Lyssa glanced at Ellie and knew that she was probably right about the artefact being rigged…but maybe if Lorne could be proved wrong…just once…he would think in the future about listening to the Doctor. But was it worth the risk?

Eventually she said,

"It's your call…I'll go with whatever you decide", and she avoided Ellie's gaze.

"Right, here goes then", Lorne said, raising the butt of his P-90 again before looking to Ellie.

"As soon as you can, grab it and then we run".

She nodded and rolled her eyes, knowing how crazy this was but what could she do?

She shielded her face as Lorne smashed the P-90 into the ice casing and shards went everywhere, then as he stepped back she reached in and grabbed it.

No sooner had she done this than the ground began to shake and they glanced at one another.

"Run!", Lorne shouted and they all took off, Ellie clutching the artefact to her tightly.

The sharp icicles that Franks had been so concerned about before began to rock as the whole cave began to rumble and Franks muttered,

"Oh crap", under his breath as they went.

"I wont say I told you so", Ellie couldn't resist as she glared at Lorne but he ignored her as he had seen the icy floor up ahead beginning to break up.

"Stop!", he shouted, holding an arm out that brought Ellie skidding to a halt, Franks and Lyssa a couple of metres behind them.

Unfortunately for Lorne he skidded on the ice and couldn't stop himself from flying straight into the icy pool in front of them.

"Major!", Ellie cried out, instinctively turning to Franks who went to move forward but just as he did a wall of ice shot out of the ground and began to separate him and Lyssa from Ellie and before they knew it, it was already at head height.

"The artefact Ellie, throw it over to me", Lyssa said thinking that putting it back may stop all of this.

Ellie immediately did as Lyssa said and the artefact just cleared the wall before it joined the ceiling of the cave.

Now completely cut off from them Ellie turned back to Lorne who was struggling to get out of the icy water.

There was a thin rim around the pool and Ellie carefully scooted around it so that she was on the other side of it, nearest the cave's exit and she knelt down and reached her hand out to Lorne.

"Give me your hand", she called out, alarmed at how pale he seemed already.

Lorne's teeth chattered and he felt strangely warm in the icy pool but he knew he had to get out of there otherwise he would die.

He tried to get his arm to move but it was as though his brain had gone to sleep and he just couldn't bring himself to reach out to Ellie.

"Major!", she shouted, jolting his thoughts a little and he made more of an effort to stretch.

Eventually Ellie had to reach into the water to grab his arm and she pulled him closer to the edge.

"I'm not going to be able to pull you out of there by myself, you're going to have to make an effort too", she said, seeing that he was struggling to keep his eyes focused.

Hoping he'd understood she said,

"Okay on three……one, two….three!", and on the last count she tugged with all her might and Lorne forced his body to push itself out of the water and he landed heavily beside Ellie on the ice, sloshing water everywhere.

Ellie glanced back at the wall of ice and saw that Lyssa and Franks had gone, probably to put the artefact back or to try and find another way out.

She looked back at Lorne who lay shivering violently and she knew she had to get him back to the jumper and get him warmed up.

"Major…come on…we need to go back to the jumper….", she said trying to pull on his arm but he had it clamped to his side as his body shuddered with the cold.

Getting angry with him probably wouldn't help but suddenly the icicles on the ceiling above them began to make cracking noises and Ellie lost her rag.

"Major Lorne get up NOW! You may have been dumb enough to nearly get me killed but I will not let you die…so MOVE!!", she yelled at him and something seemed to awaken in Lorne's head and he rolled onto his knees.

This enabled Ellie to move to his side and hook one of his arms over her shoulders and they began to head for the exit as quickly as possible.

As they moved back across the snow, Lorne muttered,

"Lyssa and Franks?", as best he could through chattering teeth.

"They'll find the back way out…Lyssa has the layout of the cave remember?", Ellie replied, trying to sound positive and Lorne nodded, stumbling slightly and Ellie pressed a hand against his chest, grimacing when she felt how saturated his heavy coat was.

They finally reached the jumper and Ellie opened the back up.

Lorne all but fell inside and collapsed on the floor whilst Ellie shut the doors again.

Once that was done she flung off her outer coat, hat and gloves and then knelt by Lorne. She pushed him onto his back and began to unbutton his thick jacket.

"I need you to sit up", she instructed but Lorne merely groaned and shivered and she bit back a curse and pulled with all her might on his collar until she had him in an upright position.

"You have to get these wet clothes off…you need to get dry and warm", she told him, pushing the coat off his shoulders and then unzipping his tac vest and his under jacket and also shoving them off of his shoulders.

She reached behind him and moved them out of the way.

Lorne went to lay back down but she grabbed the neck of his T-shirt to keep him upright.

"This has to come off too", she said and Lorne didn't object as she dragged the shirt over his head.

She then let him lay down again, her hands hesitating as she went for the button on his combats.

She took a deep breath and went for it, undoing the buttons and then tugging them down his thighs.

She ignored his muscular thighs and the sight of him lying there in nothing more than his snugly-fitting shorts and she moved and took off his boots and socks.

Refusing point blank to remove the shorts she removed her own jacket and rubbed it over his wet skin, trying to dry him off as best she could.

She stood and reached into the overhead lockers and pulled out all the coats and blankets she could find, piling them over and around Lorne but she watched in dismay as he continued to shiver violently.

She moved to the front of the jumper and powered it up, hoping to generate some heat but it would be a while before that happened.

She went back to Lorne and knew that if she didn't warm him up soon he would get hyperthermia and die.

"Damn it", she cursed and she bent and pulled off her boots and wriggled out of her combats which were wet from the snow.

She knew that body heat would help and she reluctantly pulled her T-shirt over her head leaving her in just her bra and panties and she shook her head in disbelief as she got under the blankets and snuggled up to Lorne's freezing cold body.

This didn't seem to help and she muttered yet another curse as she moved up and straddled him. She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and then lay on him, chest to chest, her head level with his.

"Jeez, you're cold", she said, her body rapidly losing heat as his drew it from her and Lorne made a grunting noise in response.

They lay still for what seemed like forever before Lorne's shivers slowly seemed to dissipate and Ellie relaxed somewhat and she moved down his body slightly so that she could rest her head against his shoulder.

The heat from the jumper gradually began to kick in and she checked Lorne's pulse before settling back against him.

She hoped Lyssa and Franks had made it out of the cave and that they were headed for the jumper.

Her heart began to beat erratically and she told herself to calm down.

Slowly as they both began to get warmer, her eyelids slid shut and she joined Lorne in sleep.

Sometime later Lorne opened his eyes and he stared at the roof of the jumper for a while before he realised what it was.

The next thing he realised was that there was a soft, warm, female body lying on top of him and he frowned as he tried to recall what the hell had gone on here.

He moved his head slightly and saw the brunette curls of the woman and he stiffened as everything gradually came flooding back to him.

"What the hell……", he muttered and Ellie suddenly sat up, blinking down at him, the fact that she only wore panties and a bra escaping her at that moment.

"You're awake!", she said.

"We're nearly naked!", Lorne replied and Ellie swallowed as she realised that he was right.

End of Chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4

Date : 12.01.2008

Title : The A.U. Series : New Beginnings

Author : ElaineDex

Chapter : 4 of ?

Rating : M

Pairings : Lt. Col. John Sheppard / Dr. Ellie Harrison

Major Evan Lorne / Nurse Jessica Reilly

Ronon Dex / Lyssa Hunter

Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Adventure, Maybe Some Strong Language.

Spoilers : This story has character's in it from my Loves series and follows on from the last story - Loves Double Trouble.

Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.

Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Harrison, Lt. Matthew Franks, and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.

**Summary : When Ellie does the decent thing and swaps teams with McKay will she be able to cope with the stubborn and demanding Major Lorne or will her new beginning end in disaster?**

Lorne sat up as Ellie continued to straddle him and his face became level with hers and only inches away.

"Dr Harrison what the hell are you doing?", he asked, the memory of him falling into the icy water returning to him and he had an idea that she had been trying to warm him up…..but nearly naked for Christ's sake?!

Ellie continued to stare at him, her shock being replaced by anger…

Of all the ungrateful bastards….

"Well I was saving your life…", she shot back at him and Lorne frowned and said for not the first time,

"Nearly naked?".

"For heaven's sake Major…our clothes were wet, how did you expect me to get you dry and warm out here…?", she replied, trying to get off of him without actually touching him too much and she pulled the blanket around her as she straightened and suddenly felt a little dizzy.

'Probably stood up too quickly', she thought, closing her eyes as Lorne continued to stare up at her.

"You have seen a woman in her underwear before haven't you?", she asked as she suddenly felt herself begin to struggle to breathe and she knew she needed some of her pills.

"Of course I have I just……Ellie…..?", Lorne said calling her by her name for the first time as he noticed she was swaying slightly.

He reached up and tugged on the blanket, bringing her down beside him with a thud.

"My…pills…", she managed, her eyes still closed as she concentrated on breathing.

Lorne moved onto his knees and rummaged around in the blankets and coats until he found his still damp combats and he reached for the pocket that her pot of pills were in.

He shook the pot and was relieved when they rattled. Thankfully the container must have been waterproof.

He opened it and looked at her,

"How many?", he asked and she stuck two fingers up at him instead of speaking and it looked deceptively like she was flicking him the 'V' but he ignored her and shook the pills onto his palm then pressed them into hers.

Ellie took them straight away and he replaced the lid and then sat back beside her, pulling another blanket around himself.

After a few minutes she opened her eyes and was breathing normally again.

"Don't you dare even try to say that this makes us remotely even", she said and Lorne raised his eyebrows at her.

"Thank you for what you did", he said looking at her, his eyes sincere and she nodded.

"We need to locate Franks and Lyssa", Lorne said eventually and Ellie nodded as he stood.

She followed suit and they both grimaced as they looked at their cold, damp clothing.

Ellie began to move the blankets and spare coats and they were just about to get dressed when the back of the jumper began to open and Lorne moved so quickly that Ellie only had time to blink as he put himself between her and the doors.

But it was only Franks and Lyssa and amazingly Lyssa still held the artefact.

"You're alive!", all four people said at the same time.

"And you still have the artefact", Ellie added glumly as the realisation that Lorne's hair-brained plan had actually worked seeing as they were all here, fine and dandy and they had the artefact to boot.

"And you two are half-dressed", Lyssa stated and Lorne cleared his throat gruffly.

"Are we okay to come in? Not interrupting are we?", Franks asked as he dithered in the jumpers' doorway.

"Get in here Lieutenant and close that damn door", Lorne said as Lyssa and Franks moved inside, shutting the jumpers doors behind them.

Lyssa looked at first Ellie and then Lorne as they quickly began to pull their clothes on and she shook her head.

'No way', she thought to herself. 'Ellie was surely only warming Lorne up to save his life…nothing more…nothing less. Body heat and all that...'.

As soon as they were ready, Lorne jumped into the pilots seat and said,

"Let's get out of here. I'll be glad if I never see a flake of snow ever again".

Franks and Lyssa nodded their agreement but Ellie looked at the snow as long as was possible as they left the planet.

* * *

Back on Atlantis they attended a briefing with Weir and McKay. Once that was over, McKay took the artefact to the lab, Lyssa and Franks following him from the room and they heard Mckay saying,

"Nice scarf Lieutenant", and then making a kind of yelling noise as Franks obviously retaliated in some way.

Ellie and Lorne were about to stand when Weir said,

"Could I have a word with you two?".

They both nodded and Weir sighed.

"You should both get Dr Beckett to check you over. Major, your dip in that icy water was a close call and Ellie…you should make sure that your heart is alright".

"We'll head to the infirmary now ma'am", Lorne said and Weir smiled at them both.

"Okay then. Well done in getting the artefact by the way".

"Thanks", Lorne said, ignoring Ellie's glare as they left the briefing room.

They headed to the infirmary, a stony silence between them and even though Lorne considered speaking to Ellie about what had happened the moment became lost as soon as they entered the infirmary and Beckett headed over to them shortly followed by Jessica.

After Lorne briefly explained to Beckett what had happened, the Doctor made them change out of their still damp uniforms and into infirmary scrubs and then examined them both and then headed off to get them both a shot of an antibiotic that would hopefully ward off a cold or the flu.

As they waited for Beckett's return, Ellie tried not to listen as Jessica leaned in close to Lorne.

"Are you okay baby?", she cooed and Ellie rolled her eyes and put her back to Lorne and the nurse whom he was obviously having some kind of relationship with.

'He'd kept that quiet', she thought. 'Still, it was hardly likely that he would tell her who he was dating'.

"I'm fine", she heard Lorne reply, noting that he sounded a little uncomfortable and the thought made her smile.

Just then Sheppard entered the infirmary and unbeknownst to Ellie, Jessica moved away from Lorne and back to her duties.

"You okay?", Sheppard asked as he approached her and it was her turn to feel uncomfortable as he hugged her, nodding to Lorne over her shoulder.

As he pulled away from her Sheppard said a grin upon his face,

"So Major…I hear you've been getting naked with my girlfriend".

Ellie's jaw dropped open and Lorne shook his head,

"Nearly naked…Sir", he managed to choke out.

"John……", Ellie began but Sheppard just laughed at them.

"It's okay…really…I'd do the same myself if it were Teyla that had fallen into some icy water…not Ronon or Mckay though…they'd have to freeze to death for obvious reasons…", he said and Ellie frowned at him and Lorne remained silent.

Luckily at that moment Beckett returned with their shots and Sheppard stood to one side as the Doctor administered their jabs.

"I think you two should stay here just for a couple of hours for observation and to warm up properly", Beckett said, trying to pull a blanket higher up Ellie's legs and she and Lorne groaned inwardly at the thought of being stuck there together even for a couple of hours.

"Well guys I have work to do. So you…", Sheppard paused to kiss Ellie before he continued, "rest up and I'll see you later".

Ellie didn't reply, merely flopped back against the pillows as Lorne said,

"See you Sir".

* * *

From that mission onwards, Ellie and Lorne's working relationship became one long row and became famous around the Atlantis gossips' grape vine.

They had more arguments than Dr Weir cared to know about but behind all that they had become a good team, although Lorne swore he would never admit that to Ellie because he knew she would ram his words down his neck!

He had also never admitted to her that he knew he had been wrong about the artefact being rigged and all she had ever received was the pathetic 'thanks for what you did' for saving his life.

She battled on though, still trying to get her points across and Lorne grudgingly began to admire her persistence.

Neither ever mentioned the 'nearly naked' experience in the jumper.

One afternoon Ellie was cataloguing her finds from their latest mission when Lorne ambled into the lab.

"Hey Doc", he said, picking up one of her note books and flicking absently through the pages.

Ellie put down her pen and glared at him.

"Did you want something?", she asked, reaching out and snatching the book out of his hands.

Lorne's lips quirked in a smile which he quickly hid as he replied,

"Yeah…I come bearing glad tidings".

Ellie raised an eyebrow as she waited for him to elaborate.

"You're going to be out of my hair for a few days", he said and Ellie's interest was piqued enough for her to twist in her chair and she looked up at him properly as she faced him.

"And who do I thank for this fantastic piece of news?", she asked watching as Lorne folded his arms, his muscles flexing as he did so and she looked away, trying to forget that she new exactly how those arms looked without his top on.

Lorne, seemingly oblivious to her discomfort leant against the desk and replied,

"Dr Weir just informed me that McKay has requested you accompany Colonel Sheppard's team back to PX8 119. She has given it the go-ahead so you'll be leaving in two hours and it's a three day mission".

"Great!", Ellie replied, briefly wondering why Sheppard hadn't come to tell her, but then again she had been avoiding him lately as she was still uncertain about her relationship with him.

She knew she should make her mind up. It was only fair to Sheppard. She didn't for one minute think that he was serious about her or their relationship but that didn't mean that she could drag it on if she weren't happy with the way things were.

Lorne regarded her for a moment, wondering what she was thinking and then pushed away from her desk.

As he went to leave Ellie said,

"Oh, Major…try not to miss me too much".

Lorne paused in the doorway and turned back to face her.

"I'll do my best Doctor, but it'll be hard", he replied dryly and Ellie pointedly didn't look at him and it was only when she saw out of the corner of her eye and knew he had gone that she let herself relax.

She sat for a couple of minutes and then stood abruptly.

Two hours to get ready for a three day mission…she needed to start preparing.

End of Chapter 4


	5. Chapter 5

Date : 13.01.2008

Title : The A.U. Series : New Beginnings

Author : ElaineDex

Chapter : 5 of ?

Rating : M

Pairings : Lt. Col. John Sheppard / Dr. Ellie Harrison

Major Evan Lorne / Nurse Jessica Reilly

Ronon Dex / Lyssa Hunter

Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Adventure, Maybe Some Strong Language.

Spoilers : This story has character's in it from my Loves series and follows on from the last story - Loves Double Trouble.

Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.

Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Harrison, Lt. Matthew Franks, and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.

**Summary : When Ellie does the decent thing and swaps teams with McKay will she be able to cope with the stubborn and demanding Major Lorne or will her new beginning end in disaster?**

"I thought you could read this stuff", McKay said in an accusatory tone as he stood beside Ellie in front of a wall which was engraved with Egyptian style markings.

"I can. But Rodney you have to give me longer than two seconds to decipher them", Ellie replied and Rodney turned away from her in his usual agitated fashion whenever he was kept waiting.

"Hmmmm……well, just hurry up. The only reason I asked you along was because of this", he said gesticulating at the wall and Ellie took a deep claming breath.

"You want me to shoot him now or later?", Ronon, who was stood nearby asked and Ellie smiled.

"I'd like to say now but he may come in useful later", she replied and Ronon nodded.

"I have ears", Rodney sarcastically said and Ellie pulled a face at him.

She was just about to start deciphering again when Sheppard and Teyla approached.

"How's it coming?", Sheppard asked and Ellie let out a huffed breath.

"Give me a chance will you?!", she said tetchily and Sheppard frowned at her.

Not only had she been avoiding him lately but each time he tried to speak to her she either ignored him or snapped at him.

Something was obviously wrong and when the time was right he intended to find out exactly what the problem was.

"I take it that means its 'not' coming just yet?", he said and Rodney folded his arms.

"Not just yet no", he said and Ellie kept her back to them as she tried to concentrate.

Ronon could see that for some reason Ellie was struggling to keep her cool today and he looked at the others.

"Look, just give her some space", he said and Ellie turned to look at them too.

"Yeah…or he'll shoot you all", she told them.

Sheppard glanced at Teyla who shrugged and he said,

"Okay, me and Teyla will do another sweep of the perimeter. Rodney….move away but don't go too far".

"Right…great…the girlfriend gets her way again…", Rodney muttered and Ellie was just about to fly at him as was Sheppard when a Wraith dart appeared overhead.

"Damn it…where the hell did that come from?", Sheppard muttered, following it's path with his P-90.

"I dunno but you can bet it wont be alone", Ronon replied moving to Sheppard's side, his blaster drawn and ready.

Teyla joined them just as a second dart flew over.

"Look out!", Sheppard yelled as the darts culling beam appeared, lighting up the ground in between him and where Ellie and Rodney were stood and when it disappeared he saw that so had Ellie and Rodney.

"God Damn it!!", he cursed loudly and angrily and Ronon and Teyla exchanged a worried look.

* * *

Lorne was sat in his office trying to wade through some long overdue paperwork when the cities' 'Red Alert' alarm sounded.

Springing to his feet he raced to the gate room.

"What's happening ma'am?", he asked of Weir as Lyssa and Franks joined them.

"We've just received communication from Colonel Sheppard and I'm afraid some Wraith darts appeared at their location and Dr McKay and Dr Harrison have been taken", Weir replied.

"We need to get out there", Lorne said immediately and Weir held up her hands as though she had expected his reaction.

"You have a go Major…take Lieutenant Tyler to make up your numbers", she said and Lorne nodded as he, Lyssa and Franks moved to get ready to leave.

* * *

Ellie scooted closer to Rodney in the cell that they had been put in on their arrival at the Wraith hive ship.

"What do you think they're going to do to us?", she asked, grasping his arm nervously.

"I'm not sure…but you can bet it involves SUCKING THE LIFE OUT OF US!", Rodney replied shrugging her off and Ellie glared at him as she hissed,

"Jeez Rodney you're a real comfort to a girl".

"Well I'm sorry but in these situations I normally have some kind of military person here to help me out but this time I'm stuck with….with another me and that's not good", Rodney replied honestly.

"I'm sure John and the others will think of something", Ellie said, trying to sound positive as this was the first time she had been captured by the Wraith and Rodney nodded, his eyes glued to the door of their cell.

* * *

Back on P8X 119, Sheppard, Ronon and Teyla took cover as the Wraith Hive ship appeared not far from their position and they took cover in some nearby trees.

"What the hell is that thing doing down here?", Sheppard said, watching as the ship hovered low to the ground.

"It would appear that they are having some problems with their engines", Teyla said as the ship made a strange noise and dropped a little lower.

Just then the gate activated and Lorne and the others came through, approaching with caution when they saw the huge hive ship in the distance.

"What's going on Sir?", he asked of Sheppard after nodding briefly at Ronon and Teyla.

Sheppard quickly explained what had happened with the darts and that they thought the hive's engines were faulty.

"Is that why they've taken the two Docs do you think?", Lieutenant Tyler asked and Sheppard regarded him.

"So they can fix the ship", Tyler elaborated and Sheppard frowned.

"They should be able to fix it themselves for one thing but failing that, how would they know which two people to take? Unless………..", he trailed off as dread crept into his belly.

"Michael…", Lorne said for him and Sheppard nodded.

"But Doc Harrison wasn't around when the experiments were carried out on Michael", Ronon said and Sheppard raked a hand through his hair.

"Well maybe she was just unfortunate enough to be stood next to McKay when the beam took him", he said glancing back at the hive ship which suddenly lowered onto the ground altogether making loud creaking and groaning noises.

"That thing looks in a bad way", Lorne commented and Sheppard agreed.

"We need a plan", he said.

* * *

"Oh God", Rodney muttered as two Wraith guards appeared at their cell door and opened it.

"You will both come with us", one said and Ellie and Rodney exchanged a glance.

"Now!", the wraith said and they moved forward reluctantly.

They were taken to the bridge where Rodney groaned loudly as he saw which Wraith was in charge.

"Hi…great to see you again", he said over-brightly and Ellie frowned as she looked from Rodney to the strange looking Wraith with the short hair.

"You know each other?", she asked and Rodney laughed nervously.

"Oh yeah…we go way back".

"Yes…way back to when you ruined my life", the wraith replied, not sounding impressed and Ellie said to Rodney,

"What did you do to him?", and the wraith looked at her strangely.

"It wasn't me…it was Beckett's retro-virus", Rodney said in that high-pitched tone of his.

Ellie sighed. She had read about the retro-virus experiments but had never expected to meet the wraith that had escaped.

"So this is Michael", she stated, not really needing Rodney's confirmation but he nodded all the same.

"And you are….?", Michael said.

"Dr Ellie Harrison", she replied and Michael held his arms out.

"Another Doctor. How fortunate for me…my ship will be repaired even faster now".

"What's wrong with the ship?", Rodney asked, glancing around and Michael replied,

"Have you not noticed that we are sitting on the ground of the planet Dr McKay?".

"Well no…", Rodney replied moving over to a window, "I was actually a little pre-occupied wondering whether I was going to get put on today's menu!".

Ellie groaned at his comment but Michael actually smiled.

"You are an amusing man and providing you rectify the problems I am experiencing I see no reason for me to 'put you on the menu'".

"Well that's good to know", Rodney said moving back to Ellie's side.

"What about her?", he asked about Ellie and Michael turned to look at her.

"The same applies to Dr Harrison. Now…if you'd like to move to the engine room and make a start I will despatch a message to your friends who are hiding in the trees a short distance away".

Ellie and Rodney followed another wraith guard who lead the way to the engine room, snarling at them as he moved to stand by the door.

"Do you really think he'll send a message to John and the others?", Ellie whispered as they looked about at the elaborate consoles and Rodney threw her a look of disgust.

"Of course not. They'll be out there thinking we're dead and then they'll go home….and eat lunch….actually I am quite hungry…do you have anything with you at all…?", he said going off on a tangent and Ellie shook her head at him in dismay.

* * *

"We have to get on that ship", Sheppard said.

"What I don't get is why they haven't sent any wraith out to deal with us…they're bound to know we're here", Lorne said and Teyla agreed.

"That is rather strange".

"Let's move closer…see if we can see anything", Sheppard said and the others followed him as he moved into the wooded area.

"Hang on…why don't we cloak the jumper and get close that way?", Ronon suggested and Sheppard paused mid-step.

"Good idea", he replied knowing he wasn't thinking clearly.

He was worried about Ellie….and Rodney…having one scientist kidnapped was bad enough…but both of them at the same time was not good.

They headed for the jumper each of them wondering how they could get inside the hive ship. The cloaking device on the jumper would stop them being detected but how did they get Rodney and Ellie out?

End of Chapter 5


	6. Chapter 6

Date : 14.01.2008

Title : The A.U. Series : New Beginnings

Author : ElaineDex

Chapter : 6 of ?

Rating : M

Pairings : Lt. Col. John Sheppard / Dr. Ellie Harrison

Major Evan Lorne / Nurse Jessica Reilly

Ronon Dex / Lyssa Hunter

Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Adventure, Maybe Some Strong Language.

Spoilers : This story has character's in it from my Loves series and follows on from the last story - Loves Double Trouble.

Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.

Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Harrison, Lt. Matthew Franks, and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.

**Summary : When Ellie does the decent thing and swaps teams with McKay will she be able to cope with the stubborn and demanding Major Lorne or will her new beginning end in disaster?**

Sheppard guided the jumper toward the hive slowly and then landed it on the outer body of the ship somewhere between the entrance to the docking bay and one of the honeycomb-like opening which the darts entered and exited from.

He and the others sat in silence for a few seconds before Lt. Franks turned and looked around,

"Now what do we do Sir?".

Lorne and Sheppard exchanged a glance and Sheppard said,

"Anyone got any ideas how we can get in without being seen?"

The silence was deafening and Sheppard cleared his throat.

"I guess this is usually where McKay and Ellie step up to the table".

Lorne nodded, reluctantly agreeing that the scientists did come in handy when it came to sneaking around and not going in all guns blazing.

"I say we just go in there and blow them all to hell", Ronon said readying his blaster and Lyssa shook her head at him.

"That could get McKay and Ellie killed", she said.

"Not if I can help it and not before I've wasted a lot of Wraith", Ronon replied and she glared at him.

"We need to come up with something…and quickly", Sheppard said.

* * *

"This thing is screwed!", Rodney exclaimed as he and Ellie began to try and make some simple repairs to the ship.

"Yeah…that must be why the organic armoured hull cant repair itself", Ellie agreed.

"Hmmm. The other Wraith must really hate Michael", Rodney said, his voice low and Ellie looked at him.

"What makes you say that?", she asked.

"Well they gave him a dud ship…they must have known how bad a condition this one was in…", Rodney replied.

"Well why wouldn't Michael have picked up on that? From what I've read about him he seems pretty clued up on the technology side of things", Ellie said and Rodney wagged a finger at her as he moved to another console.

"He was probably too busy trying to get back into their good books to notice they were setting him up for failure".

"Failure?", Ellie asked.

"Yeah", Rodney answered thoughtfully. "I think Michael is in trouble but he doesn't know it yet".

"What kind of trouble?", Ellie asked just as Michael appeared in the doorway.

"Yes Dr McKay. Exactly what trouble is it that you envisage that I am in?", he asked and Rodney made a nervous sound in the back of his throat.

"Well….you know….", McKay trailed off and Michael sneered at them.

He indicated to the wraith on the door to leave them and then he said,

"No…I don't know, that is why I am asking you to elaborate".

Rodney moved so that he was slightly behind Ellie and she gave him a dirty look.

"I am waiting for your explanation Dr McKay", Michael said.

"So am I", Ellie agreed and Rodney glared at them both.

* * *

"I think if this ship is so badly damaged that it's here on the ground of a planet then I don't think they will be able to detect us cloaked or not", Sheppard said and the others looked at him.

"I agree", Teyla said.

"So we try and get in then?", Ronon asked, sounding eager to leave the jumper and Sheppard glanced at him.

"Looks that way", he replied and Ronon stood.

"Then let's go….", he said.

* * *

"I'm waiting Dr McKay", Michael said and Rodney cleared his throat nervously.

"Well…did it not cross your mind that this ship is a little too damaged compared to other hive ships you've encountered in the past?", he said and Michael inclined his head as he regarded Rodney.

"Go on?", he said.

"Did it not enter your head that if the engines etc have failed then so may the life support that is keeping all your little life sucking, hibernating, on-board friends alive?", Rodney said.

"What are you getting at Rodney?", Ellie asked and Rodney threw his arms wide.

"They're trying to set him up. If this ship is destroyed and the thousands of hibernating wraiths on board die then the other wraith have a reason to kill him without any comebacks".

"The wraith aboard this ship are fine", Michael said sounding agitated and Ellie looked at him.

"Are you sure? Have you checked lately?", she asked.

Michael looked at Rodney.

"You stay here…Dr Harrison, you will come with me".

"Wait! You cant leave me here alone", Rodney said sounding alarmed but Michael gripped Ellie's upper arm and pulled her away.

"As far as I know Dr McKay there is no reason to believe that what you say is correct. Carry on with the repairs. As far as I am concerned, you are in no immediate danger", he said, moving Ellie toward the door and Rodney muttered,

"Well that's a great comfort, thank you".

* * *

"Do you not think this is just a little too easy sir?", Lorne asked of Sheppard as they entered the hive ship on foot through one of the wraith dart entrance ways and Sheppard shrugged.

"A little Major, but let's not dwell on that….keep moving everyone", he replied and Lorne nodded, holding his P-90 tightly as they looked out for any wraith movement.

* * *

Ellie grimaced as she and Michael entered the level of the hive ship that housed the hibernation capsules of the sleeping wraith.

On closer inspection though it appeared that the wraith weren't sleeping at all…they were in fact dead.

"Oh my god!", Ellie said as Michael looked about with what looked suspiciously like barely controlled fear.

"I have been tricked by my own kind…McKay was right", he said and Ellie looked at him sharply.

"We shouldn't have left him alone…we have to get back to him now".

"No…I need to get off this ship", Michael said, gripping her arm tightly and Ellie struggled against his hold.

Rodney made the decision to leave the engine room pretty much the second Michael had left with Ellie.

He knew that there would only be a skeleton crew on board and so decided to try and get back to the bridge where maybe he could make some communication with Sheppard.

* * *

As Sheppard, Lorne and the others made their way down one of the corridors that lead to the engine room, two wraith guards appeared but Ronon and Tyler quickly took care of them.

Sheppard indicated they all continue to move forward but the sound of gun-fire must have alerted some of the other wraith guards and more rounded the corner and both the wraith and Sheppard and Lorne's teams took aim.

* * *

Michael and Ellie froze as they heard gun-fire.

Michael cursed and went to tug Ellie along but she dug her heels in.

"Wait! What use is running now?", she said and he looked at her.

"I do not wish to die Dr Harrison", he replied.

"My people wont kill you", she said and Michael made a scoffing noise.

"No…but you may as well…living as a human was probably worse than death".

He was just about to pull her along again when two wraith appeared before them, pointing their stun guns at them.

"What is the meaning of this?", Michael asked.

"You are not to be trusted. We have orders to see that you do not survive this mission", one of the other wraith said.

"No!", Michael cried reaching for the hand-gun that was strapped to Ellie's thigh.

* * *

"Move away from the console", a wraith said and Rodney gulped and turned to face two wraiths who were staring at him with hungry eyes.

"Oh god!", Rodney groaned and they grinned at him, bearing their nasty looking teeth.

They were just about to advance on him when they were shot from behind and as they dropped to the floor Rodney saw, Sheppard, Ronon, Teyla, Lyssa, Franks, Lorne and Tyler and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"What took you so long?", he asked and Lorne glared at him.

"Where's Dr Harrison?", he asked.

"Michael took her to go check on the hibernation pods", Rodney replied.

"So it is Michael…damn", Sheppard said as Tyler and Franks moved to the doorway to keep a lookout.

* * *

Ellie ducked behind Michael as he fired upon the two wraith before them, taking them by surprise and as they fell to the floor he gripped her arm again and he began to move back out onto the corridor.

"Michael wait", Ellie tried to slow him down but he didn't stop. "Why don't you come back with us…from the looks of things you're always going to be hunted by your own kind now…what sort of life will that be?".

"Better than becoming a human again", Michael replied and Ellie tried to pull her arm out of his grasp again forcing him to turn and look at her.

"Is it?", she asked. "What was so bad about being Michael Kenmore? You could have a good existence with us….have friends…people who would care about you….", she trailed off and Michael frowned at her.

He was just about to reply when Ellie was hit by a stun blast and she cried out and sank to the floor by Michael's side.

"You will come with me", another wraith said and Michael looked up from Ellie's crumpled form and into the eyes of one of his crew….now his enemy.

"I don't think so", he said, quickly raising Ellie's gun and shooting the wraith right between the eyes.

He bent and scooped Ellie up into his arms and continued to move down the corridor.

Eventually he came face to face with Sheppard and the others who all pointed their P-90's at him at the same time, apart from Ronon of course, whose blaster was suddenly inches from Michael's temple.

"What have you done to her?", Sheppard asked and Michael lifted Ellie closer against his chest.

"Nothing. She was shot by one of my crew".

"Put her down…slowly", Sheppard said, carefully watching Michael who shook his head.

"No. I want to make a deal with you first Colonel".

"We don't make deals with wraith", Ronon said through clenched teeth but Sheppard lowered his P-90 slightly.

"What did you have in mind?".

"It's good to see you all again", Michael said glancing around, his eyes lingering on Teyla and Lt. Franks subconsciously moved so that she was slightly behind him and she tried to bite back the smile that came from his action.

"What do you want?", Lorne asked, wanting Michael to get to the point.

Michael looked down at Ellie and then raised his head to look at Sheppard again.

"She said I could come back with you…become Michael Kenmore once again", he said and Sheppard exchanged a glance with Lorne.

"And that's your deal?", he asked.

"I am to be hunted down by my own kind…becoming the human you made me seems like my only option to survive", Michael replied.

Just then Ellie began to stir and she struggled as she realised who was holding her.

Michael put her on her feet but held her back against him.

"What is your answer Colonel?", he asked, his hand not far from the centre of Ellie's chest.

Sheppard looked at Ellie and the tension in the room crackled as everyone waited for his response.

End of Chapter 6


	7. Chapter 7

Date : 15.01.2008

Title : The A.U. Series : New Beginnings

Author : ElaineDex

Chapter : 7 of 7

Rating : M

Pairings : Lt. Col. John Sheppard / Dr. Ellie Harrison

Major Evan Lorne / Nurse Jessica Reilly

Ronon Dex / Lyssa Hunter

Warnings : Some Sexual Content, Romance, Adventure, Maybe Some Strong Language.

Spoilers : This story has character's in it from my Loves series and follows on from the last story - Loves Double Trouble.

Feedback : Yes please, always welcome whatever it may be.

Disclaimer : Dr. Ellie Harrison, Lt. Matthew Franks, and any O/C's are mine. Lyssa Hunter belongs to Kazavid and is from her Atlantis stories Behind The Mask and Reunions. Stargate Atlantis, unfortunately, has nothing to do with me.

**Summary : When Ellie does the decent thing and swaps teams with McKay will she be able to cope with the stubborn and demanding Major Lorne or will her new beginning end in disaster?**

"Things didn't work out so well the last time you were on Atlantis", Sheppard said and Michael angled his head and regarded the Colonel.

"Is that your answer?", he asked.

Sheppard focused on Ellie and the fact that Michael's hand was hovering a little too close to her chest for his liking.

"Say we take you back with us and you start the retro-virus treatments again, what happens when you start to remember who you were again?", he said eventually and Michael shrugged.

"I cannot help my memories Colonel…that would be down to your Dr Beckett".

"We could record Michael before he starts treatment and he could make a statement saying that he agreed to it all…that he wasn't forced", Ellie suggested and Lorne shook his head.

"He wouldn't believe that he did it willingly", he said and Ellie glared at him.

"Yes he would…wouldn't you?", she said, twisting so that she could look back at Michael and Sheppard flinched as Michael's hand actually touched her.

Michael looked at her and then at Sheppard.

"I will make the recording", he said.

By this point Sheppard had had enough.

"Alright, let Ellie go and lets get off this ship", he said and Michael slowly released Ellie, growling when Ronon immediately grabbed him and twisted his arm up his back.

As they all made their way back to where the jumper was waiting, Sheppard leaned in close to Ellie.

"You and I need to talk", he said and she looked up at him and frowned as he raised his eyebrows at her in a disapproving manner.

Ronon, Tyler and Franks kept their guns trained on Michael on the journey back to Atlantis and once there they put him in the holding cells whilst Beckett and Weir were brought up to speed with the situation.

"I must say I'm a little surprised that Michael willingly volunteered to become a human again", Weir said and Sheppard held his tongue as Lorne said,

"He volunteered once Dr Harrison had planted the idea in his head and made him realise that it was the only way that he could survive".

"I think if we handle Michael right this time he could be very useful", Ellie said, ignoring Lorne's comment and turning to face Weir.

"He was handled to the best of our abilities the last time lass but everything still went badly wrong", Beckett said.

"Well, I'd like to help out…work closely with Michael…", Ellie said trailing off as Sheppard shook his head.

"Ellie…", he began but McKay cut him off.

"What about your work in the lab?", the Doctor said sounding annoyed.

"I can still do my work in the lab Rodney…", Ellie said and Weir cleared her throat in an effort to get their conversation back on track.

"Dr Beckett do you feel comfortable administering the treatment to Michael again?", she asked and Beckett sighed and folded his arms.

"Well not entirely, if I'm truthful, but the offer has now been made to Michael and so I guess we have to follow through on that promise to make him human again", he said pointedly looking at Ellie who coloured up.

She felt like everyone was staring at her and she couldn't understand why they all thought it was such a bad idea.

"Well", Weir said standing, "Dr Harrison, seeing as this was your idea you can supervise and work with Dr Beckett but I want Michael watched every step of the way. He's really going to have to prove himself this time before he even gets out of confinement let alone be integrated into the city".

"Thank you…I'll make sure it all runs smoothly", Ellie said and Weir smiled.

"Major Lorne, make sure that Dr Harrison has a security detail with her whenever she is around Michael just in case", she said and Lorne nodded not liking the idea of this one little bit.

"Okay well…keep me updated and I guess everyone is dismissed", Weir said and they all stood.

As everyone left the room they exchanged glances as Sheppard grasped Ellie's arm and dragged her in the opposite direction.

"What the hell do you think you're playing at?", Sheppard said angrily and Ellie blinked at him.

"What?", she asked and Sheppard moved her so that her back was flat against the wall of the corridor, his arms then trapping her in.

"Inviting Michael back here for a nice 'fresh start' that's bound to end in disaster", he said.

"Why should it end in disaster? Are you saying I'm not capable of……", Ellie trailed off as he shook his head at her.

"I'm not questioning your abilities Ellie but Michael is dangerous….you shouldn't have told him he could come back here".

"You didn't have to agree to it", she said hotly.

"He had his life sucking slimy hand hovering over your chest…I don't see how I had much choice in the matter", Sheppard yelled and Ellie glared at him, her own anger rising even higher.

"Everything will be fine John…don't you trust me?", she asked and Sheppard laughed harshly.

"This has nothing to do with trust Ellie. This experiment has been tried before and it failed…miserably…what makes you think that this time will be any different?".

Ellie wanted to yell at him that she thought it would be different this time because she had faith in herself and in her ideas even if he didn't, but she kept silent on that score.

She held herself in check and instead replied calmly,

"I don't have to explain myself to you John…I'm not a member of your team anymore and I have Dr Weir's approval".

"That's true…I guess…but I don't think Lorne was too happy about any of it either and you are a member of his team", Sheppard said and Ellie folded her arms as he still kept her stuck against the wall.

"If Major Lorne has a problem then I suggest he take it up with Dr Weir", she said stiffly.

"What's going on with you lately Ellie?", Sheppard said softly, catching her off guard with the sudden change in his tone and she looked up into his eyes, both of them failing to notice Tyler and Franks who were hovering at the end of the corridor.

Sheppard raised his hand and touched her cheek.

"What do you mean?", Ellie asked going to look away but Sheppard's hand prevented her from turning her head away.

"I get the feeling that something has changed between us", he said and Ellie touched a hand to his chest.

"You feel it too?", she asked feeling relieved as she thought he was feeling that they were drifting apart too.

"Do you want to get married...or something?", he asked, looking worried.

Tyler and Franks looked at one another and moved away quickly, leaving the Colonel to his fate.

"Are you….are you proposing to me?", Ellie asked, her face a picture of horror and Sheppard frowned.

"Well….no…", he replied, squirming and Ellie sighed with relief.

"Good….Look, we need to talk John…but I need to go and see Beckett to discuss Michael first", she said and he nodded and they moved along the corridor.

"So…later then?", Sheppard asked and Ellie nodded and quickly kissed his cheek.

"Later", she confirmed.

* * *

"So…wanna go to bed?", Ronon asked as his hands encircled Lyssa's waist and she knew she couldn't put it off any longer.

"Ronon…I need to talk to you", she said, pushing against his arms and Ronon frowned and fell onto the bed without her.

"What is it?", he asked as she sat in the chair by the bed and he realised that she looked serious about something.

"I really don't know how to say this…especially after everything we've been through together and after everything you've done for me since we met….", Lyssa began and Ronon got a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Just say it…whatever it is", he said gruffly and Lyssa twisted her hands together and took a deep breath.

"Ronon…as much as I love you I've come to realise lately that I'm not….I'm not….", her words faltered and she began to wonder if she could actually say out loud the words that she needed to.

"Go on", Ronon prompted, sitting up and Lyssa swallowed nervously.

"I'm not in love with you anymore", she blurted and Ronon blinked at her as though he'd misheard her.

"I'm so sorry", she added when he remained silent.

Eventually, when his silence became more than she could bear she stood and said,

"Ronon, say something, please".

"How long have you felt this way?", he asked finally and Lyssa folded her arms defensively.

"A while now".

Ronon leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees as he absorbed the information and Lyssa moved and sat by his side.

"I am sorry…I don't know why my feelings have changed…I didn't want them to and I've fought against it for so long", she told him and he looked at her, his eyes full of a sadness that made her heart ache.

"There's no one else?", he asked and she shook her head vehemently, tears pooling in her eyes.

"It's alright", he told her, pulling her against him and she hugged him back tightly. "You can't help your heart Lyssa".

"I know but I never wanted to hurt you", she sniffed and Ronon pulled back to look at her face.

"We've had some good times over the years and I'm glad we could make one another happy for a short time at least", he said and Lyssa smiled at him through her tears.

"Me too", she said, touching a hand to his face and he turned his head and kissed her palm.

"I'll see Weir about getting another room", Lyssa said but Ronon shook his head.

"I'll do it", he said and Lyssa sighed, relieved that it was finally done.

* * *

Lorne stood in the doorway of the holding cells, his expression grim and his P-90 poised and ready as he watched Ellie hold the video camera up and point it at Michael.

"Okay", she said, "So…you just say whatever will make you believe that we didn't force you to take the retro-virus".

Michael cleared his throat and Lorne rolled his eyes.

"Get on with it", he said and Ellie glared at the Major and waved a hand at him for him to be quiet.

Finally Michael spoke, "I freely state that I volunteered to take Dr Beckett's retro-virus and that no-one, especially Dr Harrison, is to blame for what will happen to me".

Ellie blinked in surprise at him naming her in the statement and she said,

"You didn't have to say that".

"I know", Michael replied and Lorne glared at the Wraith as Michael continued, "I want you to promise me that you will not lie to me once I am human. If I ask you things about my past I want you to tell me the truth and show me the recording. I think it will help me come to terms with things...I didnt like how your people deceived me last time.

"I promise", Ellie said and Michael nodded as though satisfied.

"Are we done here? Dr Beckett is waiting", Lorne said and Ellie looked away from Michael and over to Lorne.

"Yes, we're done", she said.

Once Lorne had taken Michael to Beckett she went in search of Sheppard.

She checked his quarters and hers and finding him in neither she headed for the bar area as opposed to the mess hall due to the lateness of the hour.

She was just about to enter the bar when Sheppard caught her up.

"Hey", he said and she smiled at him.

"Want to grab a quick drink before our 'talk'?", Sheppard asked and she nodded.

"Why not".

They entered the bar and immediately became aware that they were being stared at by most of the people in there.

"Are my flies open?", Sheppard whispered to Ellie and she glanced at him quickly before shaking her head.

"Then what the hell….?", Sheppard began but stopped abruptly as McKay shouted over to them,

"So….when's the big day?".

"The what?", Sheppard replied as he and Ellie headed over to the table where McKay was sat with Tyler, Franks and Teyla.

"We have heard that you are to be married", Teyla said, smiling serenely at them and Ellie grasped the back of an empty chair as she glanced at Sheppard.

"That's…….I mean…we're not", she stuttered and Sheppard pinched at the bridge of his nose as a headache began to develop.

"We understand if you want to keep it quiet for now Sir", Tyler said and Sheppard waved his hands.

"You're not listening…we're not getting married", he said and Franks and McKay smirked at one another.

"Sure you're not", McKay said and Ellie groaned.

"Rodney…", she began but he cut her off as he stood and kissed her cheek.

Just then Ronon joined them and said,

"What's goin' on?".

"Colonel Sheppard and Dr Harrison are getting married", Franks said and Ellie blushed.

"No…no we're not…Matthew will you just be quiet", she said, not noticing that Ronon looked a little down but Sheppard did.

He moved to the Satedan's side.

"You okay buddy?", he asked and Ronon nodded and said in a low voice.

"Lyssa and I just broke up".

Sheppard groaned inwardly.

"I'm sorry", he said and Ronon sighed and slapped Sheppard's shoulder.

"That's alright. Congratulations by the way…", he said and Sheppard rolled his eyes.

"How many times…Ellie and I are not getting married!".

The End

The new series will continue with my next story...


End file.
